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Caravan/Danube-class
The Caravan and Danube-class Ships are basically the same ships just slightly different missions that allow ZAFT to sport a multi-purpose ship that could be used for two different support missions which save on resources for other more defense-minded missions. Technology & Combat Characteristics The Caravan/Danube-class ships are one of the major support ships of the ZAFT Space Forces. The reasoning behind the two class names is that the entire class has two main variants. The only difference between the two are the modular connections along the bottom of the ship, the Caravan-class has the connections for twelve drop-pods making it an orbital dropship, while the Danube-class have modular pod latches giving it the ability to carry various types of large cargo pods and other such modular pods for a variety of different duties. The Danube-class make up the large majority of the ZAFT Auxilary Fleet while the Caravan-class is under the control of the main ZAFT Space Forces due to its main mission of dropping mobile suits onto Earth. However, a few Caravan-class are under the control of the ZAFT Auxilary Fleet due to them being used to dropping a variety of supplies onto the planet for whatever reason. ''Caravan''-class Overview Due to its main mission of being an orbital dropship only around a dozen ships of this class have been produced by Martius Shipwrights in early CE70. It was developed on the request of Marshall Patrick Zala, overall head of ZAFT, to make the best use of the ultimate high ground that ZAFT sported and to be used in the planned Earth Operations. Not to mention preventing the diaster of Operation Sphinx the operation to invade and capture the Lake Victoria Spaceport along with its Mass Driver. The new Caravan-class after only a couple weeks of development time would be introduced to the ZAFT Space Forces. Just in time for Operation Uroboros a far larger operation then Sphinx. The full dozen ships of the class produced along with several specially converted Laurasia-class Frigates and numerous other support ships would then start the operation on April 1, CE70. The success of this initial drop operation would see the Caravan-class continued to be used by ZAFT in several further drop operations as Uroboros continued on. Overall, the Caravan-class sports the needed latches for a dozen drop-pods which allows the ship to carry the pods to Earth Orbit. Once on location, the Pods are then loaded with their cargo via dedicated support ships. With cargo loaded and ready the ship then moves into a position where it would drop their pods onto the planet. From there the mission is completed for the Caravan-class ships and they soon return home. Though there were a few times during a drop operation where a second drop operation would be needed and for this a dedicated support ship would then unload further drop-pods which would then be carefully maneuvered into position to be latched onto the dropship. Though this quite rare and only has happened twice during the Bloody Valentine War. For weapons, the Caravan-class sports the same four defensive CIWS guns of the Danube-class, two mounted forward underneath the bridge and the other two on the ship's engine block, which means that these ships often needed a large escort force to allow it to complete its mission. Outside of the pod latches and its mission the Caravan-class is quite similar to the slightly older Danube-class. This includes internal equipment, the engines, and its reactor. While the Caravan-class didn't really win the war for ZAFT it did give them quite a tool in their arsenal which the Earth Alliance really did not have a counter for outside of trying to intercept the dropships before they get to Earth Orbit which was quite hard to do thanks to the large fleet of ships often escorting the dropships to their target. Even then the Earth Alliance did start their own drop operations during the later months of the war but they did not have the sheer versatility of the Caravan-class Dropship at their disposal. ''Danube''-class Overview Originally the Danube-class Modular Transport would be developed for the use of the PLANTs themselves to carry cargo and material in between the different PLANTs along with other orbital colonies. To do this it was designed to carry a variety of different cargo containers and other such such equipment underneath its main hull. Allowing it to be quite modular in its carrying capacity and its transportability. However, many in the PLANTs believed that they didn't need such a design with the smaller and equally modular Foxhound-class Light Transport was quite sufficient for their needs. It wasn't till the start of the Bloody Valentine War that the Danube-class was looked at once more this time by the newly formed ZAFT Auxiliary Fleet who were quite impressed with the design. Soon after new ships of the class were started to be produced in significant numbers to support the ever-growing ZAFT Space Forces. In general, the Danube-class was exactly what ZAFT needed for it could equip a variety of different underslung pods and containers allowing it to serve as a basic bulk cargo transport one moment before becoming a dedicated combat support ship the next. This allowed ZAFT and its dedicated Auxiliary Fleet to have one dedicated ship instead of more than one class of support ships like the Earth Alliance fleets sported. This cut down crew resources needed to be tied down on these ships. Not to mention it allowed for the needed resources to be funneled into constructing the needed warships instead of different support ships. Therefore, it was a rather ingenious way to use the limited resources and population of the PLANTs to better its military might. Like the Caravan-class, the Danube-class is only armed with four medium-weight CIWS Guns making it armed but not enough to defend itself from an enemy ship if it attacks. Though it should be noted that the Danube-class does sport extra armor over that of the Caravan. Hence, the Danube-class are either deployed with at least a single escort ship, like a Luna-class or organized into small convoys with a couple of escort ships. Though on rare occasions a single Danube-class would be deployed by itself for whatever reason like the ZAS Papuri ''which responded to call of assistance from the Le Creuset Team at Lagrange Three after the Battle of Heliopolis. It is thanks in part to the hardworking ''Danube-class ships and their crews that allowed ZAFT to face off against the massive sized Earth Alliance Orbital Fleet during the entire Bloody Valentine War. Often resupplying ZAFT ships in the middle of a warzone like during the Battle of Nova. They also helped fuel the factories and shipyards of the PLANTs with the needed resources to keep them going strong well into months following the end of the war. The Danube-class also serve as the basis for not only the new Luna-class Space Escort, but the Orleans-class Auxiliary Mobile Suit Carrier. Overall, the Danube-class was a key part of keeping ZAFT in the fight against the Earth Alliance. Armaments *'M3A2 75mm Double-Barrel CIWS Guns' :A heavier, double-barrel, version of the M3A1 that gives these ships a needed defense but these weapons while heavier are not capable of allowing these ships to fight against a full-on enemy combat ship. These are only defensive weapons for the purpose of fighting off the odd pirate or two. Equipment & System Features Notable Ships Variants Note & Trivia Category:Support Ship Category:Transport Category:Dropship Category:Warship Category:Angelic Dawn Ships